OREANDA-NEWS. Fitch Ratings has published its seventh edition of the Global Reinsurance Guide. This document provides reinsurance brokers, security committees and reinsurance investors with the latest research on the global reinsurance sector and views on the ratings in the agency's universe of reinsurance coverage.

The 2017 Outlook: Global Reinsurance report discusses the key drivers behind the negative sector outlook, as well as outlining the conditions that could lead the agency to revise it to stable. The report details key issues that are expected to pose a challenge to reinsurers during 2017. These are:

- Profit deterioration becomes a key rating sensitivity

- Stabilising prices give false hope

- Alternative capital capacity slows

- Reinsurer consolidation stalls, but may heat up again

The White Paper on Lack of Comparability of A. M. Best's 'A-' IFS Ratings to Those of Fitch was prepared by Fitch to help users of Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) ratings, including insurance brokers and reinsurance security teams, put the ratings of the main credit rating agencies (CRAs) into better perspective. Fitch believes there are common misperceptions with respect to the comparability of IFS ratings among CRAs, particularly for ratings at the 'A-' level.

The Insurance Peer Review: Major European Reinsurers report compares and contrasts Fitch's views on the key credit factors of the four major European reinsurance organisations: Hannover Re; Munich Re; SCOR; Swiss Re.

The Global Reinsurers' Mid-Year 2016 Financial Results report provides a review of the financial results and performance highlights released during the half-year 2016 reporting period by Fitch's monitored universe of reinsurers.

The Asian Reinsurance Markets report explores how regulatory reforms are expected to boost reinsurance demand across the region. The report also discusses the implications of China's C-ROSS capital regime and the narrowing gap between economic and insured catastrophe losses.

The Latin American Reinsurance report discusses a number of developments taking place across the region, including the effects of slowing Latam economies on reinsurance demand and pricing, and the vulnerability of economies to economic deceleration.

The Reinsurance in a Solvency II World report outlines why Fitch believes that highly rated reinsurers in fully equivalent countries will hold a competitive advantage over lower-rated companies domiciled in non-equivalent countries. The report also discusses why Solvency II is leading to an increased demand for longevity reinsurance.

The final section of the report contains the most recent research Navigators on a selected group of reinsurers that are rated by Fitch. The Navigators provide an overview on the key rating drivers and ratings sensitivities for each reinsurer.